Filing drum



ufi 3, 1953 R. P. 'SCHOLFIELD ,34 ,375

' FILING DRUM Filed my :5, 1945 fiammm 2 t *H 'I l I i "In "Nil; "M I "mi INVENT OR BYM f M1440 ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 23, 1 95 3 Application July s, 1945, Serial No. 603,025

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to rotary'files of the type comprising a rotatably mounteddrum adapted to have a plurality of filing cards removably secured upon its periphery, for ready access to the cards by an operator, for inspection or for the posting of entries thereon.

An object is to provide on the filing drum improved card retaining means.

A further object is to provide improved card separators or card guides, to divide the cards into groups and sub-groups and to maintain the cards aligned on the drum and to prevent angular displacement thereof, that is, to maintain the inner and outer edges of the cards on line parallel to the axis of the drum.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel type of filing card and a novel type card retaining means, adapted to increase the area of the surface of the cards available for therecep- 'tion of printed, typed or Written matter.

removed and eliminated by keyhole shaped slots, or the like, punched therein, to embrace card retaining rails, the cards may be provided along their inner edges, with dove-tail shaped tabs, adapted to be received in an under-cut groove or channel of corresponding cross sectional shape, formed in the periphery of the rim of the drum, to secure the cards in place. Another advantage resulting from this construction is that a plurality of cards may be removed en bloc, by simply twisting them laterally so that the inclined side To this end, instead of having portions of the cards edges of their tabs are removed from the under- I cut portion of the groove.

A further object of theinvention is to provide special means for removing cards of the last mentioned type from the rim of the drum en'bloc, in large groups, without twisting. To accomplish this aim, certain sections of one side wall. of the undercut groove are made laterally movable to widen the groove and thereby permit direct translational removal of the dove-tail tabs therefrom. Of course, the invention is not limited to Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of drum.

Figure 2 is a half section and partial front elevation of the drum of Figure 1.

porting means therefor in elevation.

Figure 4 is a central, vertical section, on an enlarged scale, on the card of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of a fied form of separator or card guide, I

Figure 6 is a side elevation of thedevice of Figure 5. p

Figure 7 is a sectional view of the drum rim and an elevation of card and Figure 8 is a section on an enlarged scale, showing the laterally movable portion of the side wall of the undercut groove.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the rotatable filing drum proper is mounted for rotation upon a fixed, horizontal shaft I0 carried by any suitable supporting structure, such as the socket members I I, I2, provided with laterally and downwardly projecting legs [3. Since the shaft and the supporting structure form no part of the invention of thepresent application, they are shown merely diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings and need not be further I described. structures, brakes, clutches and operating mechanisms shown in prior Patents Nos. 2,046,655 and 2,205,932 and in the patent to Scholfield and Kelly No. 2,536,574, may be employed with the filing drum of the present application.

The drum includesa pair of spaced heads I4,

I4, each comprising a Web I5, having a central tubular boss I6, journalled on the shaft I0, and radially extending reinforcing ribs I1, extending outwardly from the boss to a plurality of dished or inwardly recessed portions I8, I9, 20, each.

terminating at its outer end in a section 2Irof rality of different positions, ashereinafter explained.

The drum heads are further'provided with circumferentially continuous radial flanges 26, dis- 7 posed adjacent to the side edges of the cards mounted on the rim.

The drum heads I4, I4 may be of any suitable material, but, preferably, are cast aluminum, or

modir, I

Of course, any of the supporting the like. If desired, drawn or stamped sheet metal or molded plastic material may be used.

The rim '21, preferably is made from cast metal, such as aluminum, and accurately machined.

The rim of the drum is shaped to provide a circumferentially extending undercut groove or channel 32, defined by a cylindrical bottom 33 and inclined side walls 34, 35. The channel is adapted to serve as means for securing to the rim, a plurality of different types of devices; as

hereinafter explained;

As indicated in Figure 8, spaced arcuate sections of suitable length, along one side wall of. the undercut groove, are mounted for lateral. movement relative to the opposite side wall, so" as to widen the groove, when they are shifted;

from the'rirn and having lateralprojections 44,

thereon. The laterally; movable'wall section of the undercut groovemakes it'possible to insert in the groove, a member shaped to conform thereto, to be retained therein; 7

As indicated in Figuresffiand 4, guide cards or separator's d5,provided with inwardly'projecting tabs 46" adjacent their inner edge 4? may be retained on the-rim by an interfitting relation between the; tab and the" undercut groove. The tab'maybe covered bya metal sheath 48, to'withstand' wear, and to make the guide cards extremely long-lived. The'tabs may be inserted inthe dovetail groove by aligning the'tabs Iongitudinally withthe groove and bythen turning the cards transversely, so that they assume the position shown in-Figures'3 and'7.

As indicatedin'Fi'gures Band 6, short rod sec-' thereby. The guides-or separators serveito prevent lateral tipping of" the cards and to divide the 'circumference-of the drum into a plurality of different sections, which are adjustable in size and capacity relative'to: each other, for the reception-of different groups of cards.

As shown in Figure], filing cards 60 may be provided with integral dove-tail tabs 6 l' on their lower margins, adapted to be received in the undercut groove 32, formed in the surface of a cylindrical rim 21. The cards maybe inserted by the use of a movable side wall section, as indicated in Figure 8, or simply by slightly distorting' or bending the tabs 61, or the corners These devices are- 4 thereof, or by swinging the cards about a central vertical axis, to permit the tab to be inserted or removed from the channel.

It will be understood that such cards may be removed en bloc from a drum of the type shown in Figures 7 and 8 by shifting the movable side wall section 31 to open the groove and permit translational withdrawal of the dove-tail tabs 'from the groove.

It is thought that thestruc'ture' and'mode of operation of the apparatus of the present invention will be entirely clear to those skilled in the art" from the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the details shown and described, but covers all modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

I claim:

1. A rotatable filing drum comprising a rim havingmeans. associated. therewith defining a circu'infereiitially extending, undercut groove having diverging, fix'edandlrigid side walls, with theexception'of' c'ertain'sections of at least one of, said fside walls, which sections are translationally laterally movable, to increase the width of said groove adjacent said sections, for the insertion into said groove of means having inclined sides, complemental inshape to are undercut groove andnieansfor holding the movables'e'ctions in alignment with the fixed sectionstoma'intain the groove in the narrow condition.

2. Arota'ta'ble filing drum comprising a rim having its surface shaped to provide a circumferential channel having a mouth of fixed and restricted width except at spaced sections and being laterally" enlarged tlierebelow, said spaced sections of the mouth'of the channel being de fined bystrips mounted for lateral translation movement relative to the other side of the channel, to increase the effective width of saidmouth, saidchannel, when the width of the mouth is so increased, being adapted to receive securing means for card separators, complemental in shape, with the cross-sectional shape of the channel, and means for holding the movable strips in alignment with. the fired sections of the mouth'to maint'ainithe width oft h e mouth in the narrow condition.

3. A filing drum comprising a rim, means associated therewith defining a circumferentially extending undercut groove, said means being in part fixed'andrelatively'immovable and in part translationally,movable,to widen the groove for the introductionor removal of an element adapted to beretained in the groove when narrowed,and means for holdingsaid movable means inalignment with saidfix'ed'mcans to maintain the groove in the narrow condition.

4. A filing drum comprising a rim havingmeans associated therewith defining a circumferentialundercut groovehaving fixed side walls, except at spaced sections, said sections of one side wall of the groove being translationally laterallyf movable'to widen the groove for the introduction or'.remc'va'l 'of an element adapted to be'retained inthefgroove when narrowed, and resilient means urging said spaced sections toward the opp'os'iteflside' wall to maintain the groove'normally in the narrowed condiiton.

RI P; sorromrELD.

(lief erences on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Gilman Apr. 4, 1399 Zimmerli Oct. 22, 1901 Yawman Jan. 2, 1912 Russell Aug. 4, 1925 Van Vlissingen Mar. 2, 1926 Gale Dec. 4, 1928 Stafford Oct. 9, 1934 Beeler May 26, 1936 Scholfield July 7, 1936 Number Numb er France 1938 

